Improvement in car-roofs



H. ALDRIDGE.

- Gar-Roofs.

ed Sept. 17,1878.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

HIE-AM ALDRIDGE, or sr. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOB TO FRANK Cf ALDRIDGE, on BATESBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA, R. B. CROUCH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND F. A. DILWORTH, or PITTSBURG, PA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-R CFS;

, Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 208,007, dated September 17, 1878; application filed June 20, 1878.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HIRAM ALDRIDGE, of the city and county of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Roofs, which improvement is fully set forth in the followin g specification and annexed drawings, in which latter Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car-roof havin g certain parts removed and broken away, so as to fully expose to view such parts as would otherwise be hidden thereby. Fig. 2 is a vertical central transverse section of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of one of the guttered eaves of the same.

The nature of my invention consists, first, in the combination, in a carroof, of a ridge-beam having side grooves, a ridge-clamp, eavesbeam having a gutter with its outer side portion higher than its inner one, an inner metal roof, and an outer covering-roof, as and for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

It consists, second, in a novel device whereby any leakage water upon the inner metal roof is collected into an inclined longitudinal gutter formed in the outer eaves-beam, andv conducted to and discharged at the ends of the car upon the ground, thereby preventing such'water in its descent from wetting the sides of the car, thus rendering the same damp and enhancing its liability to decay, as is the case when such water is discharged at the sides of the car, as shown in the patent granted me.

It consists, third, in an eaves-beam of a car-- roof, with a covered water-gutter at the eaves end of an inner metal roof, and inclined in opposite directions and extended to or through the ends of the car, as and for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Arepresents the vertical body portion of an ordinary car; B the inner and O the outer eaves-beam; D, the ridge-beam; E, the rafters; and F, longitudinal bars connecting the rafters with each other and with the end cross-beams of the car.

The ridge-beam D is provided at each side with a groove, d, which is flush with the upper surface of the rafters E. The corrugated metal sheets G, constitutin the inner metal roof, are placed upon the rafters E and bars F, and

their upper ends are insertedinto the groove d,wherein they are accuratelyfitted. The lower ends of the sheets G rest upon the inner eavesbeam, B and extend to a longitudinal secret'or Covered gutter, c, in the outer eaves-beam, O. The said gutter c inclines from the center to both ends of the car, and servesto collect the leakage water from the metal sheets .Gand conduct it to the ends of the car and discharge it upon the ground. I generally make the lower edges of the sheets G to partly overhang the groove 0, in order to prevent water from comingin contact with the wood-work of the car beforeit reaches the gutter c.

Theinnermetal roof iscoveredwithawooden roof of boards, H, which are placed incliningly upon the ridge-beam D, so that their upper ends abut and their lower ends rest upon the outer edge, e, of the guttered eaves-beam 0. Upon the upper'ends of the boards H, along their line of abutment, a ridge-clamp board, I, is placed and fastened to the ridge-board D and rafters E by means of bolts J, thus forming a powerful clamp, which securely holds the ridge ends of the boards in place. Instead of depending wholly upon this clamp, screws or nails can be passed through the boards without piercing the sheets at the ridge. The lower ends of the said boards are made to overhang the outer eavesbeam, G.

' The outer portion, 0, of the guttered'eaves is made higher than the inner portion, so that the sheets Gr may rest down upon it and their upper surface be touched and bound by the boards H, and thus when these boards are fastened to the eaves (l by nails or other means the sheets shall be firmly clamped without being penetrated by the nails or fastenings.

The increased pitch or inclination given to the boards H with respect to the sheets G serves to cause a frictional bind between the two, and thus prevent the sheets from slipping down and covering up the gutter 0 during dry weather or extremely rough traveling, the clamps or other fastenings under such circumstances being liable to temporarily become loose and permit the sheets to move. The

ridge-clamp board I is provided with an ordinary running-board, K, Which is suitably attached to it and the roof.

By constructing my car-roof in the abovedescribed manner I am enabled to use metal sheets for the inner roof, which are confined at their ridge and eaves ends Without being pierced by nails or other fastenings, and consequently do not afford any chance for water to leak through and damage the ear. Such construction also enables me to finish the illner roof much quicker and cheaper, as the cost and labor of putting extra fastenings through the sheets is saved; and, finally, all leakage is collected from the sheets G and conducted to the ends of the car, from whence it may fall to the ground or be conducted down in common water-pipes, thus obviating the injurious effect of having such leakage run down the sides of the car to its injury and ofttilnes to the injury of its contents.

I claim- 1. In a double car-roof, the combination of the inner metal roof, as described, and. the eaves-beam 0, having a gutter, 0, leading to the ends of the car, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car-roof, the combination of the rid gebeam D, having grooves d, the ridge-clamp I J, the boards H, the eaves-beam 0, having the gutter, 0,wit,l1 the elevated outer portion, a and the sheets Gr, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 4

3. The eaves-beam of a car, with a covered Watergutter at the eaves end of an inner roof, G, and inclined in opposite directions, and extending through or past the ends of the car, substantially as described.

' HIRAM ALDRlDGE.

Witnesses:

J. l). SAWTELL, Rom. B. Ononcn. 

